St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-28
Carpenters union. Mr.. Cox opened til,
meeting by saving:

strike! Is IL falr 10 have these committees
going around and pulling off buildings men
should put other men out of work or prevent
them from working? The unions are too
tyrannical. Some men are not as good as
others, yet we are told we must employ them.
Ed F. Hyland, Bricklayer-The bricklayers
are not striking on account of any grievance.
The agreement was that we wouldn't strike
for more wages than 40 cents per hour
without giving proper notice. When we
to get the same as we got before. We pro
pose to abide by our agreement. We are
striking i'll sympathy with the carpenters
not for more wages, as the agreement read.
Mr. Grant-My carpenters and bricklayers
are working ten hours. The unions are not
going to run me.
President Scribner-We have no objection
TO unions which are oranized for mutual ben
too glad to aid such as them financially, but
we cannot treat with any organization which
practices such principles as have been pro
mulsated since the strike commenced.
Mr.. MyerS-l was superintendent for
George j.. Grant, and WAS neutral. trying to
do all could to prevent the strike. Mr..
Grant asked me one day to-. go out
and act as foreman at the work upon
the hotel. l told him l couldn't under the
circumstances. He told me had either to
take charge of the work or quit.
MIR. Scribner-That's just what we contend.
Every employe has right to quit, and every
SG
ploye. The union should not come between
the employer and the employe, and we intend
that it never Sliali.
Mr.. Grant-'I thought the gentleman could
not serve two masters, the union and myself,
so discharged him.
Duncan McDougal, carpenter contractor
There is no such thing as ten hours pay
for nine hours work. 1t is to the interest of
the city at large. that this strike shall be
settled. The small contractors who are will
ing TO work on the nine-hour plan want
chance to go ahead"
Mr.. CoX-"Supposing / had twenty men
working for me. Two wanted to work nine
hours and the other eighteen ten. What
shall do. Shall l keep the two men and
discharge the eighteens"
Answer-Let them all work.
MIR. Cox-Why not work two gangs-one
part OF the day, the other the other part.
You say there are too many men on the labor
market, that would give them all work.
MIR. Hyland-We did not come here to- dis
cuSs the methods of doing business in the
carpenters union, the bricklayerS' union or
the contractors union.
Mr.. Scribner-The committee have gone
around and induced the men to quit work
against their will
Mr.. Hyland-The bricklayers' union has
discussed the proposition, and we have con-
cluded that the carpenters demand for nine
hours is reasonable.
Here Mr.. Hyland was interrupted.
Ed Christian, president of the Bricklay
erS union, got up and said:
We came here to have this strike settled
If this is a meeting of committees of arbitra-
ton we want chairman, and give every
man fair show without any interruption.
Mr.. Scribner-You gentlemen say you want
to have the strike settled. Have you any
proposition?
Mr.. Hyland-We bricklayers are not strik-
ing for wages; we struck to bring the strike
to an end. Our proposition is that nine
hours be adopted as a days work on all
buildings, leaving the question of wages be-
tween employers and employees.
Mr.. Breen, with reference to the ru lie of
the unions that union men cannot work with
non-union men-We have already adopted
resolution Mr.. President. stating that any
man has a right to work where and for whom
he pleases, SO this discussion is all out of
order.
Mr.. Christian-I think this strike can be
settled by both sides coming to the middle.
If we are going to have our own unions, have
you anything to say as to how we shall run
them! If it is not right for unions to dictate
to men to quit work, is it right for contract
ors to dictate to other contractors as to whom
they shall employ
Mr.. Scribner-lt is not right.
Mr.. ChriStian-Yet that has been done. 1
went once to the foreman, Burke, on Matt
Breen's court house contract. and l asked
for a job. Burke said: mo, | wouldn't
give you job if you was Jesus Christ, if you
are union man"
Mr.. ScribneI-Let me suggest compro-
mise. Practically one month has been lost,
with great damage to both sides. the city at
large, and building has been retarded very
much. Let what may come another year;
let's all go back to work ten hours now until
this years contracts are completed. We will
all be better off.
Mr. Mcguire, President of the Carpenters
Union-The contractors say they have
enough, or nearly enough carpenters, why
should they want us to go back to work then?
One object OF our union is to improve the
-sNfn W. a
that if we are going to have poor men work
ing with us. You contractors have the poor
quality of men working for you now;
wouldn't it be better if you had a better class
500 carpenters, however, working nine
hours in this city to-day. 1 presume this
strike can be settled by adopting nine hours
as days work.
Mr.. Cox-Why not all go to work and let
committees go around with an agreement for
niEe hours and get the men to sign it, say to
go into effect in six months or ninety days.
Mr. Myers-Fifty or sixty contractors did
agree once to concede nine hours, but they
didn't keep their word.
Mr.. Hyland-The bricklayers will not go to
work ten hours day, that is certain. We
can see no injustice in the men wanting nine
hours.
Mr.. Bassford-I wish to ask if we eoneede
nine hours will the union men consent to
work on the same building with men work
ing ten hours?
Mr.. Hyland-The bricklayerS will not work
with ten-hour men.
Mr.. Breen-Whenever a majority of the
community at large shall decide that days
work shall be shortened, it will be.
Mr.. Christian-Grant the carpenters nine
hours and the bricklayers will go TO work to-
morrow morning.
Mr.. COW hat guaranty can you give for
that?
Mr.. Christian-The guaranty of our union;
as good as any guaranty of the contractors
They made an agreement six years ago.
which they all signed, but they did not stand
by it.
A motion to adjourn stopped the
argument. Mr.. Reardon had attempted
to cut it short earlier, but withdrew his
motion to permit Mr.. Breen to talk. A
final effort to induce the men to go back
to work ten hours failed. After the
conference the directors of the contrac-
tors held secret meeting, but no action
was taken.